Come Closer
by Jillian Bowes
Summary: One hundred RedxBoxer drabbles.
1. Introduction

**A/N: My first drabble challenge! Here we go. By the way, I'm going to call him Boxer throughout the fic. It's probably not his real name, but it's the closest we're gonna get it looks like. Plus, I **_**hate **_**"Blue." Seriously, how un-creative is that.**

* * *

001: Introduction

"_I will always find you…"_

Paper Boats was his favorite song. He knew every word by heart. It was the first song he heard her perform, and every second she spent singing captivated him. He had heard of the great Red through friends and various posters pasted about the town, and decided to attend a show at the Empty Set. He stood among the enormous crowd, listening intently as her beautiful voice reverberated off of every corner of the hall. He found himself getting lost in her effortless vibrato and flawless runs, unable to even blink as she sang. As if his legs had minds of their own, they moved him forward one step at a time, until he was only a few rows of fans from the stage. Then, it happened.

Their eyes locked, and time stopped. He was sure it only lasted a few seconds, but it felt like an eternity. He couldn't explain how he knew, but he was sure she must have felt everything he felt in that moment.

_I have to meet her._

When the show came to an end and the last of the crowd began to disperse, he began seeking a way to introduce himself to her. He circled around to the back, where security was surprisingly sparse. He came to a dimly lit hall beholding several doors. One of the doors was labeled "Red," and he could almost feel that she was behind the door. Steeling himself, he took a deep breath and knocked three times.

"Come in." That beautiful voice. It was her.

He opened the door to see her facing a lit mirror, removing her earrings. He noticed her heels were tossed into the corner, as if they had been kicked off almost immediately after entering the room. She glanced at him in the mirror, her sky-blue eyes widening. Ever so slowly, she turned around to meet his eyes.

"…Hi," she said, softly.

"Hey…" Damn it, he hadn't thought about what he would say to her. He cleared his throat. "Um, I just wanted to say, you were… amazing tonight. Oh, I'm Boxer, by the way." He held out his hand.

She took it and smiled warmly. "Red."

"Oh I already knew that," he chuckled.

Still smiling, she breathed, "I think I remember you. Seeing you in the crowd, I mean. Were you in the middle, a few rows back?"

_She remembers me? _"Yeah! That was probably me. I may have cheated my way to a spot closer to the front." She laughed.

"I guess that means you liked my performance!"

They talked a while longer before he decided it was time to let her go. "Sorry, I've used up a good deal of your time," he apologized, though he wasn't really all that sorry.

Her eyes glittered. "Oh, don't worry about that. I liked talking to you."

"So did I. Anyway, I'll get out of your hair." He turned to leave.

"Wait!" He stopped. "Will I see you again?"

He smirked. "I'll be at every show."

And he was.


	2. Complicated

**A/N: I realize he probably wears the wraps because he is likely an actual boxer, but a boxer named Boxer in this story is too weird. SO, I'm gonna leave it to the imagination here.**

002: Complicated

"You know, I've never seen you take those off." The statement caught him off guard.

"Take what off?" he inquired.

She gestured to his wrists. "Those, um… wraps."

"Oh, these?" He passively waved a hand in the air. "It's nothing, don't worry about it." He popped another sushi roll into his mouth as though to end the conversation there.

Well, Red wasn't having any of that. "It's just that you've worn them on every date we've been on. I'm curious, that's all."

"I love sea food," Boxer said, dreamily. Red reached across the table and smacked him playfully on the arm.

"Oh, I'm sorry, was I interrupting your date? I can leave you two alone if you like." She smirked.

"If you don't mind," he sang, mimicking her smirk.

"Oh, come on. Can I at least get a hint?" she pouted. He absent-mindedly rubbed his wrists. "I'll sing for you!" He sighed, and she knew she had won, at least partially.

"It's… complicated." She figured that was the most she would get out of him for today.

"I suppose you don't have to tell me right now… But I do want to know!"

He chuckled. "Just finish eating. Your food's getting cold."

"Hm, no song for you at the apartment," she chided, wagging a finger at him.

"Ah, but we _are _going back to your apartment?" He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.She shrugged innocently.

"We'll see."


	3. Making History

003: Making History

Boxer stood with his back against the wall next to the dressing room door. "I don't suppose you'll be coming out of there in time for the show?" he called.

"Very funny!" came the muffled voice from the other side. Even through the door, her voice sounded beautiful to him. A few more moments passed before she finally emerged from the dressing room, donning a tight golden dress, flaring out at the bottom and complete with a white feather boa. She smoothed out her dress and took a deep breath, looking up at him. "Okay. How do I look?"

Boxer was speechless. Stunned. It took a couple of seconds to find his words. "I… Wow. You look… so…"

"Is it bad?" she asked, biting her lip.

"No! No, you look… stunning. Staggering! Beautiful," he managed. Red blushed under his admiring gaze.

"That's reassuring," she said, stepping closer to wrap her arms around his neck. "I wouldn't want to look hideous in front of all those people out there."

"That would be impossible," he murmured, leaning downward to kiss her. Their lips met for a fleeting moment before she regrettably pulled away.

"I'm going to be late," she whispered.

"Go," he spoke softly, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "You're gonna make history with this show, I can feel it." Red grinned up at him.

"I'll see you after the show?"

He nodded. "Promise. Don't change the world too much without me!" he teased. She started to head toward the stage.

"If everything changes, nothing changes," she said without turning around.

She was gone before he could ask her where she had heard that. _Have they gotten to her, too?_


	4. Rivalry

004: Rivalry

Asher was talking. Sybil was pretty sure of that, at least. Something about Grant's goals for the Camerata… She stopped caring the moment Red—_the_ Red- walked into the restaurant alone. She eyed the petite ginger carefully, and noticed Red had just held up two fingers for the hostess, indicating she needed a table for two. Were it anyone else, Sybil would have rolled her eyes at the needless hand motion. _Just say the number,_ she would say.

But this was _Red._ There was something about her that captivated Sybil. She—

"Cloudbank to Sybil? Are you even listening?" Asher interrupted her thoughts with his fingers snapping in front of her face. He did not look impressed. She snapped her attention back to him, but it was too late; he already saw where she was looking. He followed her eyes and turned back to see Red being led to a small table. "Ah," he said, leaning back and crossing his ankles with a smirk on his face. "The singer has your attention. Were you thinking we could use her?"

Sybil said nothing. Asher sipped his wine. "Or maybe your thoughts lie elsewhere?"

Sybil huffed. "Oh, can it Asher. I don't need relationship advice from you," she grumbled, ignoring the fact that a married man would probably provide better advice in that field than anyone else.

"Hm. Then I suppose you wouldn't care at all if I pointed out to you that her _date_ has just arrived?"

Her head whipped to see the table, as well as Red's new… friend. Asher took a bite of his bread roll smugly. "You know, I'm curious as to how he feels about paparazzi. Though it doesn't seem to be much of an issue for them at the moment. Not counting your admiring gaze, of course." She glared back at him.

"Don't you have a cat to feed or something?"

"Grant's got him right now, so I'm entirely freed up to pester you." He paused. "Don't worry too much about it, Sybil. Surely he won't be around forever."

Sybil sighed, watching as her idol fawned over some… _guy._ "Ugh. He's _got _to go."

Asher turned serious. "Don't go doing anything you may regret."

"Whatever, Asher."

"I'm serious. Maybe wait until all this is over before dealing with your complicated love life."

She scoffed. "Speak for yourself." He raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. "Get the ticket, I'm ready to go."

"Fine, fine. But if you do something crazy, don't say I didn't warn you."

"Hm. I'm going to the bathroom."

Moments later, she emerged from the ladies' room, seeing Asher had already paid and was now waiting for her return. She would leave, but not without _accidentally _bumping Red's date's side of the table, spilling his drink all over him.

She smirked to herself and left without turning around.


	5. Unbreakable

005: Unbreakable

Crash. Spark. Bounce. She could throw the thing around like a ragdoll and a scratch would never surface. It was too heavy to carry properly, so she simply dragged it behind her everywhere she went. Still no damage. The Transistor was a curious item, though after spending so much time talking to her lover—who had inexplicably been trapped inside of it—she rarely thought of it as a mere object. He was rather impressed with her, however. He had never seen her wield a sword, let alone fight anyone.

He had noticed long ago how nimble she could be, but he was only now realizing how much of an advantage it gave her. And even when she was completely wiped out, breathing heavily with her scarlet locks plastered to her face, she was as radiant and beautiful as ever. He only wished he could admire her from a… different view. He silently considered the possibility of escaping the Transistor through breaking it, but it had quickly become clear the weapon was unbreakable. Perhaps he would admire it if he couldn't call it his prison.

They had just taken a Backdoor. They both really appreciated the reprieves they got from the little visits to the "beach," no matter how short. She took a seat in the sand near the water, simply admiring the view with the Transistor propped up by her side.

"Hey, Red?"

"Hm?"

"When I get out of here… When all of this is over… Let's go to a real beach. With a real sun and sky, real salt water and everything."

She nodded in agreement. "Mm-hmm." At least she could say that much. She closed her eyes with a dreamy look on her face, as if she were imagining the trip to the beach already. She smiled and leaned against the Transistor, as she had leant against him many times in the past.

Surely… Surely everything would be all right.


	6. Obsession

006: Obsession

Everyone loved her. From Cloudbank to Fairview and beyond, she was adored. Why wouldn't she be? She had yet to give anyone a reason _ not _to fall in love with her. She was the subject of every citizen's infatuation. Including—but not limited to—Sybil Reisz. Perhaps one could say it was… an obsession. Red typically didn't notice when a fan was a little more than crazed about her. But Boxer _definitely _noticed.

He'd had to step between her and an obsessed fan on more than one occasion. He didn't mind, but Red feared he could make one or two enemies that way. "Don't worry about me," he would say. He had heard of Sybil once or twice before; apparently she was an organizer of certain events, and a damn good one at that. She once met with Red to put together an event for new up-and-comers. That in itself didn't bother Boxer at all. Red was a star, it was only natural she would become involved with an organizer like her.

However, he knew of her involvement with the Camerata… He didn't like to voice his opinions on that group very often, as much of Cloudbank was highly supportive of the group's actions. He could understand; trust for those who practically created your home was almost inherent. So, for Red's sake, he put his suspicions aside and let her work with Sybil and the other artists.

At least, until he felt she was getting a little too comfortable with Red. It was just supposed to be a sugar-coated warning. No harm done, that way. He approached her carefully when she was alone; Red was busying herself talking to someone called Facsimile.

"Hi—Sybil, was it?" he greeted.

"It is. And you are?" Oh boy.

"I'm Boxer, Red's, uh… boyfriend." Something passed over Sybil's eyes as the word left his mouth that left him even more unsure than he had been thirty seconds ago.

Before he could say anything else, the look was gone in an instant and she spoke. "Ah, fantastic. She really is talented; I'm excited to have met her." She smiled, but it seemed fake somehow.

Boxer cleared his throat awkwardly. "Yeah. She really is something." He paused. "You're… You're with the Camerata, right?" Her eyes narrowed.

"What is this about, Boxer?" she asked, tilting her head.

"Never mind. But, I think you should know that with Red's busy schedule… she doesn't have time for any political activities." In other words, _she won't be joining the Camerata any time soon. _Sybil's jaw twitched.

"Hn. I don't know what you're implying, _Boxer_, but I don't think you have anything to worry about." She swiftly turned on her heel, and the conversation was over. He looked across the room to see Red looking over at him. She grinned, her expression instantly brightening. He managed a smile of his own and approached her.

"Hey, you about ready to go?" he asked her. Her expression fell slightly.

"Are you all right? You look a little…" her sentenced died on her lips; it appeared she couldn't find the right words.

"I'm fine," he muttered, sparing a short glance in Sybil's direction. After a moment he sighed, and his whole demeanor changed. "It's been a long day. When you're ready to go, would you be up for hitting Junction Jan's?"

She reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck and tilted her head. "Sea monster again?"

He smirked. "Is there any other choice?" He leaned down and kissed her. When he pulled away, he could almost _feel _the glare Sybil was throwing in his direction. He couldn't help but pray that her slight "obsession" wouldn't bring any danger to Red—or himself.


	7. Eternity

007: Eternity

"So what do you think it's like? The Country?" They were once again sharing drinks at Red's flat. It must have been the wine, but every time they drank together like this, subjects such as the Country and eternity and the meaning of life would come up in one way or another.

Boxer hummed. "I dunno. I'm assuming it's pleasant, considering if it's real, we'll be spending the rest of time there." He sipped his drink.

"You think it might not be real?" she asked, quirking an eyebrow and scooting closer to him in the couch.

He shrugged. "Not sure… One life seems pointless if it just ends after a little while and goes to another that lasts forever. I hope it's real though. Otherwise, where else would we go?" He paused to think. "I guess we don't _really_ find out until the end, but anything's possible."

Red let out a short laugh and leaned against his shoulder. "Well… If there really is such thing as 'all eternity,' I'd like to spend it with you." He took her hand in his free one and squeezed it.

"Nothing would make me happier."

They had been together for a long time. Not a single fan of Red's was unaware of their relationship. The two of them knew they would surely never find anyone else that could make them as happy. They had brushed over the subject of marriage plenty of times, deciding that they may marry when the time was right.

"But you never answered my question," she said, looking up at him.

"Hmm?"

"If it's real, what do you think it's like?"

"Let's see…" He leaned back and looked to the ceiling. "I feel like everything would be more… natural, you know?"

"What do you mean?"

"It's just a hunch, but I think maybe it would all be more real. I mean here, we use OVC terminals to vote on the color of the _sky._ I don't think there would be anything like that there. Everything would be… just the way it's supposed to be."

"That does sound nice. Old fashioned, but nice," she joked, smirking up at him. He shoved her lightly, careful not to spill their drinks.

"Give me a break; you're the one that asked." They laughed together. "In any case, I don't really care what it's like."

"What? Why not?"

"Because. It doesn't really matter to me as long as you're with me." She gazed at him for a moment.

"You sap," she laughed, poking him in the arm. He feigned hurt, holding a hand over his heart.

"Ouch, that's hurtful Red."

"Lucky for you, it's one of my favorite things about you." And their less-than-earth-shattering conversation continued, and the two of them found that they were just a little more excited for eternity.


	8. Gateway

**A/N: TW- Suicide mention. Connected to next chapter, which will be 009: Death.**

008: Gateway

At some point, Red became completely aware that once it was all over, it wouldn't be over. Everyone was gone. Her friends, her family, even Boxer had left her in a way. All because of the Camerata. Up until the Kendrells committed suicide, she didn't believe for a moment that they truly wanted to help Cloudbank. But, when they ended their lives as a result of the damage they had done to the city, she knew they must have had some good intentions. Boxer had called them cowards… Would he think the same of her?

She knew there was only one way out. What else would she do in a city all alone? Aside from her semi-inanimate companion. She wasn't sure if death would actually ensure a reunion between her and her lover, considering his situation inside the Transistor, but there was no longer anything left for her in her hometown.

Due to the city's rather blocky state, she had no other way of ending it than using the Transistor itself. It killed her really, knowing he could see her on some level, and that she would have to make him watch her demise. Especially when all he wanted to do was keep her alive.

But it was the only way. The Transistor had to be her gateway to the Country. And she would meet Boxer there.

Hopefully.


	9. Death

009: Death

She couldn't pinpoint exactly when, but somewhere along their journey, she had stopped being afraid. Afraid of the Camerata, afraid of the Process, afraid of death. All of it. She was ready. Part of her grieved for Cloudbank, as well as Boxer and herself. Every step closer she came to the end she despaired over what Boxer would think of her once it was done.

It was almost time. She was only minutes away, she knew it. Royce was dead (because of her). Boxer would never leave the Transistor (because of her). There was no more hope for Cloudbank or its people (_because of her_).

She kept going. "What are you thinking?"

What used to be his body was in sight.

"Hey."

She stopped near the white blocks.

"Oh." She began to rewrite his resting place.

"Look. That's not me. Not anymore. I'm still with you, but I'm not getting out of here."

_I know,_ she thought. She knelt down to pick up the Transistor and held it close to her body, hugging it.

"Red. Hey. What're you doing?" He had a right to be confused. She stabbed it upright into the ground. "Wait- Wait. What are you— what are you doing?" She took her seat close to his corpse. She tried to ignore its frigid lifelessness.

"Red. Don't you do it, don't you _dare._" She raised a hand and the Transistor floated into the air, the dangerous end pointing straight at her. "Don't do this. _Please._ If you do this- … Red, please don't." She just shook her head. _I'm sorry._

"Wait! _Red!"_

"Red… No, Red… What did you- What did you do? No Red, no. No…"

However, when she finally saw him in person so full of life, and spoke again and held him in her arms for the first time in who knew how long, she didn't feel so bad about it.


	10. Opportunities

**A/N: This one's for you, Stairhopper! Thanks for suggesting this idea. One-tenth of the way there! Sorry about spotty updates. This one actually goes over the limit to be considered a drabble, but hey, sue me. Some of it is just lyrics anyway. P.S. One of the scenes in this chapter is depicted in the end credits of the game, and it is also the cover image for this story. ;)**

010: Opportunities

Boxer typically stayed backstage and watched Red's performances. Better than the front row seats, he would say. He arrived at the night's venue and began to look for Red. He grew concerned when he heard arguing coming from backstage. _Oh boy… _ He was pretty sure he heard Red's voice among the angry voices.

He cautiously made his entrance. "Uh, knock knock. What's going on here?"

Red turned to him, unable to appear less irritated. "Hey."

"Yikes, what's got you guys so frazzled?" He turned his attention to the members of the band to avoid Red's… negative emotions.

"Our back-up vocalist for Paper Boats backed out on us last minute, that flake," one of them spoke up. He recognized him as the lead guitarist. Or something. Boxer crossed his arms.

"Well, you can do the show without him, right? I mean, how important are backup vocals? You have Red!"

"He's _important,_ Boxer," Red huffed. "The show is starting soon and there's no one who can- Wait a second." Her eyes lit up.

"Um. What?" Boxer questioned. Uh-oh.

"You," she said, finally smiling.

He faltered. Maybe he didn't hear her correctly. Clearing his throat, he stammered, "Sorry, what was that?"

"You, Boxer!" she exclaimed, stepping closer to him.

"_Me!?_ Are you out of your _mind_?" He couldn't believe his ears.

"Yes, you! I know you can do it."

"Red—"

"I know you know every word to Paper Boats, and I've heard you sing! You're actually pretty good, you know."

He was taken aback. "Oh, come on. When have you ever heard me sing?"

"You think I don't hear you in the shower?" she smirked. The band members all snickered and Boxer's face flushed.

"Red!"

"And you sing when you're drunk."

"You're not really helping your case, Red. Even _if _I know all the words, what makes you think I can get up in front of all those people and sing for the first time?" She came even closer to him and took his hands in hers, giving them a tight squeeze.

She took a deep breath, and he knew what was coming next. "Oh no, don't you do it, Red!" She looked up at him with her classic glossed-over puppy eyes.

"This is really important to me," she said quietly, drawing her words out in a tone of mock-desperation. "Pleeeeaaaaase?"

Boxer groaned, then all the band members joined in from the background. "_Pleeeeaaaaase?_"

He couldn't take it anymore. "All right, all right! I'll do it, just get off my back…" Red's face ignited with a gigantic smile.

She jumped up and hugged him tighter than she ever had before. "Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!"

He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "So… I guess we should rehearse?"

~#~

They didn't get to rehearse for long, which didn't exactly aid Boxer's anxiety. Paper Boats wasn't until the very end of the show, and he wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing. Part of him wanted to put it off as long as possible, while another part of him wanted to just get it over with and never think about it again. He pulled at the wraps around his hands nervously.

She had just finished We All Become and the audience was crazy for her. That was his cue. He coolly stepped onto the stage and took his place at the microphone on the left end of the stage. In the middle was Red, on the right the guitarist, and the rest of the musicians were situated near the back. He heard voices from the crowd of people who must have recognized him as Red's "special friend, and he tried not to show his discomfort at the bright lights being_ right in his face_.

He briefly went over his cues in his head as the music began. _Okay, start at the second half of the first verse, no chorus… _

He stopped thinking so much and just let his voice take over.

"_The river always finds the sea…_

_So helplessly…_

_Like you find me…" _

Red's eyes met his and he melted, completely forgetting about all the people watching. They smiled and continued to sing together.

"_We are paper boats floating on a stream…_

_And it would seem…_

_We'll never be apart…"_ She carefully moved her attention back to her crowd, continuing her part. He kept his eyes on her as his part came up again. He let the words leave his mouth as though someone was gently pulling them from him.

"_Like the moon that makes the tides…_

_That silent guide… is calling from inside…_" He almost didn't notice that Red had pulled her microphone from its stand and began to walk toward him. Without thinking, he too pulled his microphone from the stand and met her in the middle. His part came again, and they gazed into each other's eyes, each mesmerized by the other's hypnotic voices. His, calm and deep and smooth, while hers was exciting and lyrical.

"_We are magnets pulling from different poles…_

_With no control…_

_We'll never be apart…" _They smiled at that line, and she moved to the chorus and through the bridge. It wasn't rehearsed, but he ended up joining her near the end.

"_Like it's written in the stars… _

_We can run, but we can't hide…_

_Try…_

_I will always, always find you…_

_I will always…" _They knew it was a promise. He could feel it, and he knew she could too.

They stayed looking at each other lovingly, and he didn't realize the song was over until the crowd erupted with applause, camera flashes going off like fireworks. They both returned their microphones to their homes, and Red bowed. She gleamed, and held her arms out to Boxer, signaling for the crowd to acknowledge him.

He blushed lightly and came to stand at Red's side, bowing. The cameras continued to flash and he turned to her. "Say, Red. Why don't we give 'em what they want?" She tilted her head and raised an eyebrow. Before she could voice her slight confusion, he took her in his arms and captured her lips in a kiss. The crowd once again went wild, and the cameras flashed so much it was as if someone had turned the lights back on.

They each pulled away and turned to the audience hand in hand, waving with their free ones. "You know, I think I could get used to the whole 'fame' thing." She shoved him playfully as she had so many times in the past.

"Really?" She smirked. "Maybe I'll just make you my permanent backup vocalist."

"Sure," he chuckled. "If you want to pay my medical bill. I think I got an ulcer waiting to get up here."

She laughed and pulled his hand downward, motioning to bow with her. He would be lying if he said he didn't ever want to do that with her again, though.


	11. 33 Percent

**A/N: The last chapter was really well received! Thanks everyone. I just started a new job, but I'm going to try and be better about updating. I've been trying to write this one for a couple days, but this theme is so weird. I really had to reach for this one. By the way, the statistics in this chapter are completely made up. I don't know shit about food poisoning.**

011: 33%

"You probably shouldn't watch the news as much as you do; you already worry too much," Red warned, coming to sit next to Boxer on the couch.

"Oh, come on Red. A little news never killed anybody. And I do _not_ worry too much!"

She scoffed. "Oh, really? Because I remember you freaked out over me eating raw cookie dough the last time you came over."

He nudged her with his elbow. "I didn't freak out! I was just—"

"—worried?" she finished, smirking. "Because you saw _on the news_ that there's a 33% chance of getting salmonella poisoning?"

He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Something like that," he mumbled.

She scooted towards him and hugged him, looking into his eyes. "No one I know has ever gotten poisoned from eating cookie dough, you know. In fact," she said, standing up and heading for the kitchen. "I think I'll have some right now.

Boxer chuckled. "Fine, you poison yourself with cookie dough, and I'll poison my mind with Wave Tennegan's reports."

She put a spoonful of dough in her mouth. "Mmm… Or you could get in here and share it with me. It's pretty good…" she trailed off, waiting for his response.

He weighed his options, but it didn't take long for him to make up his mind. He had to admit, it tasted really good. He couldn't prove it, but he truly believed it tasted better when he was sharing it with her.


	12. Dead Wrong

**A/N: Asher's POV because he's my favorite. :)**

012: Dead Wrong

"_Sybil!"_Asher hissed. "You said she would be _alone._"

"_You,"_ the man Asher knew as Boxer spat at them. "What are you doing here?"

"Boxer?" Red asked from behind him, clearly unsure.

"Hm," sounded Grant, stepping toward the duo. "Sybil, we'll talk later," he said without looking at her. "Hello, Red."

"_Answer me!_" Boxer shouted, not taking kindly to being ignored.

Royce snorted.

"Quiet," Grant commanded Boxer, once again turning his attention to Red. "You like many others, Red, hold quite the influence over this city and its people. For that reason, we would like you to…come with us." He held out a hand.

She inched a little closer toward them. "You're the Camerata, aren't you?"

"Ah, you've heard of us," Grant said, straightening his vest with the smallest of smirks. Asher tended to notice little things like that in his husband.

He tapped a foot nervously, helplessly watching the confrontation between them. He shifted uncomfortably; he hated when things didn't go according to plan. The Process were already giving him a reason to itch.

Grant clapped his hands together. "Perfect; we can skip the formalities. Royce," he called back. Royce nodded and stepped forward, handing Grant _the key. The paintbrush. _The Transistor.

Red's eyebrows knitted together, staring at the glowing sword. She stepped forward until Boxer put a hand on her shoulder, stopping her. "Red, don't."

She shook her head. "Hold on, it's okay," she whispered. They obviously want something to do with me. Let me just… talk to them." He looked into her eyes for a few moments, and it he stepped back, nodding almost imperceptively.

"What do you want?" she questioned, attempting to sound confident.

"I just told you that," Grant replied simply, not giving away the annoyance that only Asher could notice.

Red crossed her arms. "Fair enough. Then what is that?" She pointed a finger at the Transistor.

"_This_ is what is going to save our city," he said dreamily. Asher was sure Grant was picturing Cloudbank just as he had always imagined—just as _they _had always imagined.

"I don't understand."

Grant smirked. "You don't need to." Before Red could react, Grant lifted a hand in the air, commanding the Transistor to float upward and point at Red. Asher turned to gauge Sybil's reaction; she was biting her lip anxiously. Grant's hand made a swift movement outward, and with that, the Transistor flew forward toward the singer.

Red stepped back, shocked, and did little else to prevent her fate. However, Boxer leapt in front of her, taking the blow and crashing to the ground, much to everyone's surprise. Well, everyone's except one person's: Sybil. She must have noticed Asher looking at her because she quickly wiped her relieved expression from her face and replaced it with that of shock. Then, Red screamed.

"_Boxer! No!"_ she sobbed, kneeling down and taking him in her arms. She cupped his face tightly in her hands, ignoring the presence of his assailants. "Stay with me, stay with me, _please!"_

Asher almost couldn't bear to watch. Typically, he wouldn't care; the Camerata had taken care of other people such as Preston Moyle, and he hadn't given it a second thought. Though, when he watched those two together, he couldn't help but imagine losing Grant in such a manner. His stomach twisted.

Boxer locked eyes with Red for a few moments, looking as though he had a million words left to say to her. She gazed back at him, tears streaming down her face and dripping from her chin, when Boxer's head lolled back and he went limp in her arms. At that moment, every event afterward seemed to happen all at once.

Royce began to rush forward before anything else could go wrong; the Transistor began to glow brightly, and the entire room was filled with a blinding light; Red, Boxer, and the Transistor were all gone.

"_No!"_ Grant and Royce both shouted. Royce stood in shock, while Grant turned swiftly on his heel and glared at Sybil.

"Sybil. Explain yourself. Now!" Asher cautiously approached his husband, placing a hand on his upper arm and squeezing lightly. It seemed to calm Grant slightly, but the others didn't seem to notice. Sybil stared for a moment. She shrugged innocently.

"I… I thought she would be alone."

"You were w_rong," _Grant fired back at her.

"_Dead wrong!"_ Royce shouted, still in dismay over the missing device. "How could you not know about this?"

Asher sighed. "Can't we discuss this another time? The Transistor must be out there somewhere; we should be looking for it." There was a tense few seconds of silence before Grant huffed.

"Asher is right. Let's go." He stepped away from Asher and took the lead in the search, heading for the exit. Royce followed suit, while Asher lagged behind with Sybil.

"You knew, didn't you." It could hardly be a question if they both knew the answer.

"When everything changes, nothing changes. But nothing changes if nothing changes." She walked forward at a quicker pace to catch up with the other two, and the conversation was over.


	13. Running Away

**A/N: Shit you guys, sorry about the wait. Summer has been weird but I should have a lot more free time from now on.**

* * *

013: Running Away

That was it. Royce had been defeated, Red had become the last citizen of Cloudbank to join the others in the country… Everything was right again. Or at least it should have been. As far as Red could tell, everyone she had met up with in the Country was doing fairly well. She had yet to see the members of the Camerata, and she'd be lying if she said she was eager to see them, but everyone else appeared to be in some state of contentment.

Everyone except for her. She knew she should be happy, but she couldn't help but feel a mixture of negative emotions—guilt, shame, _loneliness…_ She would spend hours sitting in her chair by the window reminding herself of her failure. All she wanted was to forget about all of the lives she was unable to save. And then to commit suicide? There seemed to be no other way, but the shame was there.

And the loneliness. When she first arrived to the Country and was met with Boxer's smiling face, everything was seemingly perfect. From the moment the Transistor became his prison, she had dreamt of being reunited with him once again, and she was sure that that would make her happy. However, after that first day, he became distant. It was as if there was a rift between them.

And oh, how she wanted to just _talk _to him about it. She just didn't know where to start. Ever since the tragic end of Cloudbank, everything was so tense for the both of them. She let out a deep sigh. Shortly thereafter, a timid '_ahem'_ cut into her thoughts. She turned her head to the source, allowing the smallest of smiles. Looking him up and down, taking in his slightly disheveled appearance, she thought of how dearly she still loved him and how she couldn't possibly let him go; not after everything they'd been through. It took her a moment to realize he had asked her a question.

"You coming to bed?" he'd asked quietly. After a few more moments, she spoke.

"Yeah, in a minute." He nodded and made a slow walk to their bedroom. When he was gone, she allowed herself a few moments to clear her mind and then made her way to the room. Thankfully she was already dressed for bed, so she was able to quietly slip into bed next to Boxer.

A few minutes of crippling silence passed, and just when they were each afraid the other was asleep, they spoke at the same time.

"_Hey, let's talk_." They turned their heads to look at each other and both blushed. "You go first," Boxer urged. Red took a deep breath and inched closer to him, suddenly feeling a little colder than before.

"I don't really know-… I don't know exactly where to start," she said, struggling with her words.

"It's okay," he said softly, offering a small smile to encourage her.

Red bit her lip. "Is everything… okay, between us?"

"I love you, more than anything. If that's what you're asking," he told her, albeit somewhat shyly.

"Me too," she continued. "But… things seem different, now that we're here." It was Boxer's turn to take a deep breath.

"That's mostly my fault." Red quirked an eyebrow.

"'Mostly'?" she joked, smirking.

He chuckled, but went on. "I'm sorry. About everything. Sorry I haven't been very easy to live with, sorry I haven't talked very much, and… sorry I couldn't leave the Transistor." He averted his gaze, looking anywhere but directly at her.

"Hey," she murmured, raising a hand to touch the side of his face. "Don't apologize for that. If anything I should apologize for not finding a way to get you out."

"No, no you shouldn't. Why don't we just agree neither of us is at fault? No need to argue about what can't be changed." He waited and she nodded in agreement. "Anyway, I guess I just… I felt guilty. Like it was my fault you felt you had to do what you did." She recalled the moment she willed the Transistor to run her through, cringing at the memory. "I just kept thinking about all the what-ifs and all the things I could have—or should have—done to save you, to save Cloudbank." He paused. "And instead of coming to you, I was just running away, like an idiot."

She couldn't blame him. She smiled and scooted nearer to him, draping her arm across his chest and hugging him. "But you're my idiot," she cooed, nuzzling her face into his chest. He hugged her back, squeezing tightly. "Let's just agree not to let this happen again, hm?"

He chuckled, kissing the top of her head. "Deal."

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**A/N: Meh ending, I know, but it's 3AM and my brain is all jumbly.**


	14. Judgment

014: Judgment

He didn't deserve her. He didn't deserve her love. Sure, he saved her, but he knew that was only temporary. While he didn't want to admit it, he knew on some level that there would be nothing left for her once Royce was taken care of. Of course, she could "repaint" Cloudbank with him by her side (in sword-form for all eternity), but how could she ever want that? No, he didn't deserve having her stay with him.

He deserved to remain in his prison, forever. This was his punishment, his judgment. Someone as perfect and pure didn't belong with a guy like him. She deserved better, which is why he was taken away from her—before he could cause her any more harm than he already has. It was hard to accept it, but he had to face the truth.

He would have to man up and simply cherish his last hours with her, then let her be with the most perfect person in the world—because she deserved nothing less than absolute perfection. It was increasingly painful to think about. The visions of Red in the arms of another man were practically tearing him apart at the circuits.

And he _hated_ that he wouldn't be able to tell that perfect guy to treat her right, or there would be hell to pay. Or that Red always has to have the left side of the bed, or she gets uncomfortable. Or that he should always remind her to get some sleep if she's been writing too long. Or that her favorite place to be kissed is the nape of her neck, and she always—

This was going to be hard. _Extremely _hard.

She won't save him. He has to let her go.

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**A/N: More depressing sad stuff! Good thing all that stuff is just between Boxer's ears and that she chooses to be with him. Otherwise we wouldn't have much of a fic here.**


	15. Seeking Solace

**A/N: When I was trying to think of where to go with this chapter, I thought about what Boxer might have had to go through when it was Red's time of the month. And then I thought I should combine the two. Enjoy.**

015: Seeking Solace

Boxer sighed to himself as he relaxed in his favorite chair. He liked his apartment, he truly did, but he just felt like something was missing. He didn't always feel this way, and he knew the exact reason.

Red. He had always thought that the life of a bachelor would be the life for him. Living alone with peace and quiet, not having to answer to anybody… He'd had no complaints. But now that he had someone to be with, he knew what it really meant to be alone. Every moment he wasn't with her was dull. Just as his thoughts drifted to the possibility of the two of them moving in together sometime soon, his phone buzzed next to him.

_Speak of the devil… Or in this case, an angel._

He grinned and answered quickly, and wasted no time bringing the device to his ear.

"Hey, I was just thinking about you," he said, hoping she could hear the wink in his voice.

"Boxer," came her voice. She sounded rather distressed. "Can I come over?"

He immediately straightened up. "Y-yeah, yeah, yes of course! What's wrong, Red?"

He heard a broken sob on the other end, and her words became intelligible. He was able to make out "loved her" and "just died." He stopped her before she could become hysterical, if she wasn't already. "Okay, okay, Red, it's all right! Come over, I'll be right here and you can tell me everything then." He hoped she would be understandable by that point.

She sniffled. "Okay." She hung up.

_Oh, man… Did her mother die? Grandmother? A cousin maybe? A good friend? I hope Red's all right._

An eternity must have passed before a knock at the door came to shatter the tense silence. Boxer hurried to the door to meet a puffy-eyed beauty. He noticed she held a book in her hand, but she threw herself into his arms before he could think much more about it.

"Shh," he soothed as he stroked her hair. "It's okay. Sit down with me, tell me what happened." She nodded her head and he guided her to the couch, still holding her. "Okay, what's wrong? Did someone pass away?" Red took a deep breath to compose herself.

"Merrin died." Boxer stared at her, racking his brain. _Merrin, Merrrin… Do I know a Merrin? Uh…_

"Red, honey? Um… Who is Merrin?" She said nothing, shaking her head. Then, she held up the book she carried. He studied the cover, and it became obvious that it was a romance novel. "Wait a minute." He took the book from her hands and read the back cover. It told a tale of a woman named Merrin and her true love Pace, and Merrin's tragic battle with an illness. "Oh my god. Merrin is _fictional?_"

Red nodded pitifully. "He loved her so much! And she still died. And then he killed himself so he could be with her. It was so sad, I just…" She paused to wipe a tear from her eye. Boxer sighed. Yes, it was stupid. Really stupid. But he was still glad she was with him. If she was so emotional over something so silly, it could only mean one thing.

"Everything's okay, Red. Wait here." He got up from the couch and headed toward the kitchen, retrieving a tub of raw cookie dough from the refrigerator and one very large spoon. He kept the cookie dough in his home for just this type of occasion, and it always paid off in the end.

He gave her the tub and spoon and returned to his position, holding her against him. He reached for the remote and said, "How about we get your mind off of it, hm?" He put the book out of her reach and they spent the rest of the night together.

Yeah, he could get used to the idea of living with her.


	16. Excuses

**A/N: Plenty of dialogue for you. It just writes itself. Oh, and it's a two-parter. ;)**

016: Excuses

"I don't understand why you're defending her. Defending them!"

"I'm just saying, maybe they didn't know what they were doing."

"Red."

"Forget I said that. Maybe they didn't know… the _gravity_ of what they were doing."

Boxer huffed and ran a hand over his face. "You're making excuses for the people that put us here, Red."

A short silence. "Is that so bad? Being here?" she said quietly. "We would end up here somehow anyway."

"You know that isn't what I meant. I was _murdered_, Red. Don't you understand that? And I wasn't even the target." Red remained silent, and he stepped closer to tilt her chin up towards him. His eyes softened as he continued. "And that's not even my point. They're bad news. You shouldn't visit them."

She cast her eyes back to the invitation on the table. She almost couldn't believe her eyes when she had opened the letter. It appeared to be from all of the former Camerata, but It had quickly become clear to Red that it was primarily from Sybil. Hell, she was the one that wrote the damn thing.

Its contents stated that all of the members of the Camerata were going to be meeting at Sybil's current residence the following day and that if Red and Boxer were to attend, they would all be interested in making amends.

She surprised herself when she began to actually consider the invitation. Red sighed. "I just… I honestly believe that they could be truly remorseful. You remember the messages from Asher Kendrell, don't you?"

"No. I mean, yes, but. These people are psychopaths! They don't feel any remorse. You may recall Royce's last moments as well?"

She averted her eyes. "I don't believe they're 'psychopaths.' Anyone with an idea and enough power can do the things they did."

"Then you should know they're dangerous," he responded quickly, not letting up.

"What more can they do to us?" Red challenged, her voice raised, but she was fast to bring it back down. "Now that we're here…" She made a vague gesture to her surroundings.

Boxer stepped back. "I guess you have a point. But you must understand that I don't want to mess with these guys. You know, my killers. _Our_ killers, practically. They brought down all of Cloudbank. Not to mention the state of Fairview!" He was getting worked up again.

"I know what they did," she responded calmly. "I think we should just see what they have to say, and if we don't like it, we leave and never look back." Boxer said nothing, clearly thinking it over. "We're going to be here awhile Boxer. I would imagine that holding a grudge _forever_ will get tiresome." Boxer released a long, slow breath.

"Fine."

"Fine? You mean we'll go?"

"Yeah, we'll go. But I won't be cheery about it!" Red giggled, hugging him.

"Just don't be entirely unpleasant," she warned as he rested his chin on her head.

"Yeah, yeah," he teased. "We'll see."


End file.
